Musical amusement device

ABSTRACT

A musical toy or amusement device that includes an elongated wooden dowel adapted to be compressed circumferentially. A plurality of cylindrical wooden members are provided, each of the members having a first borehole near one of its ends. The first borehole is oriented radially in each member and is proportioned to receive and compress the dowel. Each member also has a second axial borehole in its other end forming a cavity of different size in each member. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cylindrical members are of different lengths, the gradation of lengths corresponding to the gradation of cavity sizes of the members.

United States Patent [1 1 Vennola MUSICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE [75]inventor: Jorma Vennola, Princeton, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 227,820

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1910 Batholomae 46/1918/1907 Gibbs 1/1940 Prince 46/191 Oct. 23, 1973 Primary ExaminerLouis G.Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Att0rneyMartin Novack [57]ABSTRACT A musical toy or amusement device that includes an elongatedwooden dowel adapted to be compressed circumferentially. A plurality ofcylindrical wooden members are provided, each of the members having afirst borehole near one of its ends. The first borehole is orientedradially in each member and is proportioned to receive and compress thedowel. Each member also has a second axial borehole in its other endforming a cavity of different size in each member. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, the cylindrical members are of differentlengths, the gradation of lengths corresponding to the gradation ofcavity sizes of the members.

15 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MUSICAL AMUSEMENT DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to amusement devices and, moreparticularly, to an amusement device of a musical nature that isespecially suitable for use by a young child.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an amusementdevice for a young child that has a musical appeal, can be easilyassembled and disassembled so that the child can construct his owninstrument, and is of a sturdy and non-breakable construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a musicaltoy or amusement device that includes an elongated dowel adapted to becompressed circumferentially. A plurality of cylindrical members areprovided, each of the members having a first borehole near one of itsends. The first borehole in each member is oriented substantiallyradially in the member and proportioned to receive and compress thedowel. Each of the members has a second axial borehole in its other endforming a cavity of different size in each member. In a preferredembodiment of the invention the cylindrical members are of differentlengths, the gradation of lengths corresponding to the gradation ofcavity sizes of the members.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become morereadily apparent from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational perspectiveview of a member which comprises part of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the member of FIG. 1 astaken through the arrows designated 22;

FIG. 3 is an elevational perspective view of another part of theinvention; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational perspective view of an embodiment of thepresent invention when assembled in a preferred form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED v EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2,there is illustrated a cylindrical member 20 that is preferablyconstructed of wood. The member 20 has a substantially radial borehole21 near one of its ends, referred to as its lower end. In the upper endof the member 20 an axial borehole 22 forms a cylindrical cavity.Communicating with the borehole 22 are a pair of longitudinal slots 23that effectively divide the cavity into separate halves.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an elongated cylindrical dowel 25that is also preferably formed of wood. The dowel 25 has a firstlongitudinal slot 26 that extends from one end of the dowel to abouttwo-thirds of the way to the other end of the dowel. Anotherlongitudinal slot 27 starts at the other end of the dowel and extendsabout two-thirds of the way towards the first mentioned end of thedowel. The slots 26 and 27 effectively render the dowel 25circumferentially compressible over its length. The dowel 25 has anormal uncompressed circumference that is minutely larger than thecircumference of the radial borehole 21 of member 20 (FIG. 1).Accordingly, when the dowel 25 slidingly engages the borehole 21, aslight circumferential compression results in a frictional fit betweenthese parts.

Referring to FIG. 4 there is shown a perspective view of an embodimentof the present invention when assembled in a preferred form. Threecylindrical members 20, of varying length, are adjacently positioned onthe dowel 25. Typically, a toy set in accordance with the invention ispackaged with the dowel 25 and the three members in unassembled form. Astriking member 28, shown resting in the cavity of the longest member20, is the fifth piece of the'preferred set. A young child presentedwith the toy musical instrument in unassembled form has the challengingenjoyment of constructing his own simple instrument by sliding themembers 20 over the dowel 25 in any desired order. The sizes of thecavities associated with the three members 20 of FIG. 4 are graded inaccordance with the lengths of the members. Thus, for example, in FIG.2, the length of the base portion of each member, designated B, is thesame so that the cavity gradations are proportional to the gradation inlength of the members 20.

When the toy instrument has been assembled as in FIG. 4, there arevarious ways in which it can be played. For example, the base portionsof the members 23 along with dowel 25 can be gripped in one hand whilethe striker 26 is held in the other hand and used for tapping theindividual members 20. Alternatively, the toy can rest in an uprightposition as shown in FIG.4 with an effective base being formed by theflat bottoms of the three members 20.

In this position, the striker 26 is preferably used to tap the tops ofthe different members 20 to produce clicking tones of different pitch.The slots 23 enhance the sound available from each member 20 by allowingindependent vibrations of the opposite sides of each cavity 22. Thisconcept is also disclosed in my copending. U.S. Pat. application Ser.No. 227,803 entitled Noisemaking Amusement Device, filed of even dateherewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.An experimenting child soon finds that the longer members with largercavities produce higher pitched tones when tapped with a firm object.

I claim:

I. A sounding amusement device comprising:-

an elongated dowel adapted to be compressed circumferentially; aplurality of resonating cylindrical members mounted on said dowel andaxially orthogonal thereto, each of said members having a first boreholenear one of its ends, said first borehole being oriented substantiallyradially in said member and proportioned to receive and compress saiddowel;

each of said members having a second axial borehole in its other endforming a cavity of different size in each member.

2. An amusement device as defined by claim I wherein said dowel and saidresonating cylindrical members are constructed of wood.

3. An amusement device as defined by claim 2 wherein said dowel and saidfirst boreholes are cylindrical in shape.

4. An amusement device as defined by claim 3 wherein said resonatingcylindrical members are of different lengths, the gradation of lengthscorresponding to the gradation of cavity sizes of said members.

5. An amusement device as defined by claim 4 wherein said plurality ofmembers equals three members.

6. An amusement device as defined by claim 5 further comprising woodenstriking means proportioned to fit within one of said cavities.

7. An amusement device as defined by claim 3 wherein each of saidmembers has a pair of longitudinal slots communicating with saidborehole.

8. An amusement device as defined by claim 7 wherein said slotseffectively divide each of said cavities into two equal halves.

9. An amusement device as defined by claim 3 wherein said .dowelcontains two longitudinal slots which run perpendicularly from oppositeends of said dowel.

10. A sounding amusement device comprising:

an elongated wooden cylindrical dowel adapted to be compressedcircumferentially;

a plurality of resonating cylindrical members of varying lengths mountedon said dowel and axially orthogonal thereto, each of said membershaving a first radial borehole near one of its ends which receives andcompresses said dowel;

each of said members having a second axial borehole in its other endforming a cavity of different size in each member.

11. An amusement device as defined by claim 10 wherein said resonatingcylindrical members are of different lengths, the gradation of lengthscorresponding to the gradation of cavity sizes of said members.

12. An amusement device as defined by claim 11 wherein said plurality ofmembers equals three members.

13. An amusement device as defined by claim 12 further comprising woodenstriking means proportioned to fit within one of said cavities.

14. An amusement device as defined by claim 10 wherein each of saidmembers has a pair of longitudinal slots communicating with saidborehole.

15. An amusement device as defined by claim 14 wherein said slotseffectively divide each of said cavities into two equal halves.

1. A sounding amusement device comprising: an elongated dowel adapted tobe compressed circumferentially; a plurality of resonating cylindricalmembers mounted on said dowel and axially orthogonal thereto, each ofsaid members having a first borehole near one of its ends, said firstborehole being oriented substantially radially in said member andproportioned to receive and compress said dowel; each of said membershaving a second axial borehole in its other end forming a cavity ofdifferent size in each member.
 2. An amusement device as defined byclaim 1 wherein said dowel and said resonating cylindrical members areconstructed of wood.
 3. An amusement device as defined by claim 2wherein said dowel and said first boreholes are cylindrical in shape. 4.An amusement device as defined by claim 3 wherein said resonatingcylindrical members are of different lengths, the gradation of lengthscorresponding to the gradation of cavity sizes of said members.
 5. Anamusement device as defined by claim 4 wherein said plurality of membersequals three members.
 6. An amusement device as defined by claim 5further comprising wooden striking means proportioned to fit within oneof said cavities.
 7. An amusement device as defined by claim 3 whereineach of said members has a pair of longitudinal slots communicating withsaid borehole.
 8. An amusement device as defined by claim 7 wherein saidslots effectively divide each of said cavities into two equaL halves. 9.An amusement device as defined by claim 3 wherein said dowel containstwo longitudinal slots which run perpendicularly from opposite ends ofsaid dowel.
 10. A sounding amusement device comprising: an elongatedwooden cylindrical dowel adapted to be compressed circumferentially; aplurality of resonating cylindrical members of varying lengths mountedon said dowel and axially orthogonal thereto, each of said membershaving a first radial borehole near one of its ends which receives andcompresses said dowel; each of said members having a second axialborehole in its other end forming a cavity of different size in eachmember.
 11. An amusement device as defined by claim 10 wherein saidresonating cylindrical members are of different lengths, the gradationof lengths corresponding to the gradation of cavity sizes of saidmembers.
 12. An amusement device as defined by claim 11 wherein saidplurality of members equals three members.
 13. An amusement device asdefined by claim 12 further comprising wooden striking meansproportioned to fit within one of said cavities.
 14. An amusement deviceas defined by claim 10 wherein each of said members has a pair oflongitudinal slots communicating with said borehole.
 15. An amusementdevice as defined by claim 14 wherein said slots effectively divide eachof said cavities into two equal halves.